21 Inches in 21 Days?

Last night, I had dinner with Shauna, a dear friend who is a personal trainer and all around bad-ass fitness guru.  We have a standing Game of Thrones night with her sister Rebecca (who is also awesome and a dear friend in her own right) and Rebecca's husband Dave (similarly awesome).  Shauna told me about a 21 day challenge available at the personal training center where she works and my curiosity was piqued.  Here's the gist:

Cost - $21

What you get - 

• Initial weigh-in & measurements
• 3 - 30 minutes group sessions per week with certified personal trainer (3 weeks)
• You get $1 back for every inch you lose

This program appealed to me for several reasons.  (1) P90x is fantastic, but my motivation to stick with round 2 has been waning. (B) I just came off of a weekend of pumpkin-spiced, deviously butter-laden treats galore.  With Christmas in sight, this girl needs a jump start.  And (3) I really want to get my measurements taken so that I can stop obsessing over "175" and figure out my target body fat percentage.  Yes I totally switched between numbers and letters just now...Maggie & Tasha, that was for you. ;)

A quick note about my friend, Shauna....A couple of months ago, I ran across an email that Shauna sent me back in 2008 with an exercise plan and some amazing tips for getting healthy and it got me thinking. While I have always known that Shauna has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on my life by just being an amazing, fun, beautiful, uplifting friend, I never fully realized the part she has played in my journey to become more healthy. I've had my ups and downs (literally from the scale to multiple knee surgeries), but through every moment she continues to be a source of encouragement and joy, just by being who she is and how she lives each day.  Despite my best efforts to achieve a balanced opinion of myself, I frequently pass harsh judgement for the mistakes I have made or the pounds I have taken off only to put back on.  Shauna has never once displayed anything to me but love and acceptance for who I am. Friends like this are an oasis in a world of self deprecation.  I am blessed to have several.

OK, so back to the fitness challenge.  It starts next week and I am nervously excited to exercise outside the safety of my living room and Tony Horton's corny (yet endearing) commentary. I'm not particularly excited about one of the classes that starts at 5:30am.  Yes, that is AM, not PM folks.  I am a weirdo night exerciser and I have been assured by a certain perky, well-meaning friend that morning exercise is the bee's knees.  As I told her last night, I'm not saying that I don't believe her, I just object to the whole thing...BECAUSE DRAGONS, Shauna ;)